Veterans

While military service often fosters resilience in individuals and families, some service members may experience mental health or substance use challenges. Thirty percent of active duty and reserve military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment – approximately 730,000 men and women, with many experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.

Although active duty troops and their families are eligible for care from the U.S. Department of Defense, a significant number choose not to access those services due to fear of discrimination or the harm receiving treatment for behavioral health issues may have on their military career or that of their spouse. Many National Guard, reserve, veterans, and active duty service members as well as their families seek care in communities across the country, particularly from state, territorial, tribal, local and private behavioral health care systems, often with employer-sponsored coverage.

While military service often fosters resilience in individuals and families, some service members may experience mental health or substance use challenges. Thirty percent of active duty and reserve military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment – approximately 730,000 men and women, with many experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.

Although active duty troops and their families are eligible for care from the U.S. Department of Defense, a significant number choose not to access those services due to fear of discrimination or the harm receiving treatment for behavioral health issues may have on their military career or that of their spouse. Many National Guard, reserve, veterans, and active duty service members as well as their families seek care in communities across the country, particularly from state, territorial, tribal, local and private behavioral health care systems, often with employer-sponsored coverage.

Returning veterans face many challenges during their return to civilian life. Unfortunately, for too many veterans, the psychological and emotional trauma they've suffered leads them to turn to alcohol or controlled substances to self-medicate. The problem of addiction is one that plagues veterans, but a number of resources and treatment options exists to help men and women in uniform rebuild their lives.

To that end, American Addiction Centers has created a website that summarizes available governmental, organizational and other resources available to veterans with substance use disorders. It includes 48 citations of the latest studies and 10 external resources for veterans seeking help.

Returning veterans face many challenges during their return to civilian life. Unfortunately, for too many veterans, the psychological and emotional trauma they’ve suffered leads them to turn to alcohol or controlled substances to self-medicate. The problem of addiction is one that plagues veterans, but a number of resources and treatment options exists to help men and women in uniform rebuild their lives.

To that end, American Addiction Centers has created a website that summarizes available governmental, organizational and other resources available to veterans with substance use disorders. It includes 48 citations of the latest studies and 10 external resources for veterans seeking help.

The Department of Defense has published a final rule modifying TRICARE regulations to reduce administrative barriers to access to mental health benefit coverage and to improve access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for TRICARE beneficiaries. The rule also seeks to eliminate unnecessary treatment limitations on SUD and mental health benefit coverage; expand covered mental health and SUD treatment under TRICARE, to include coverage of intensive outpatient programs and treatment of opioid use disorder; to streamline the requirements for mental health and SUD institutional providers to become TRICARE authorized providers; and to develop reimbursement methodologies for newly recognized mental health and SUD intensive outpatient programs and opioid treatment programs.